Charles w



C. W. COMPTON.

vCorpse Cooler.

Patented Nov. 5, 1867.

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Inventor:

Witnesses;

.I mh faire @anni @Him CHARLES W. COMPTON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY. Letters .Patent .No. 70,530, dated lll'ooemlicr 5, 186i'.

GORPSB-PRESERVER.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

De it known that I, VCILlRLES W. COMPTON, of Newark, in the county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful improvement in Corpse-Preservers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of myimproved corpse-preserver, taken throughthe line a: x, igVQ.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section ofthe saure, taken through the line y y, fig. 1. i i

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section of the same, taken through the line z s, figs. 1 and 2.

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved corpse-preserver, so constructed and so arranged as to be easily and conveniently handled and operated, economizing time, labor, and ice; and it consists in thc construction, combination, and arrangement ofthe various parts as hereinafter more fully described'.

A is the bottom or cooling-board, which is divided longitudinallyr into two parts, hingedl to each other,`as shown in fig. 3.- In each of the parts of the bottom board, between the zinc lining and the body of the said board, is formed an air-chamber, a', connected with the air-chamber, surrounding the trunk of the corpse by holes, as shown in figs. 2 and 3. The upper part or body of the preserver is made in two parts, B and C. D is the ice-chamber, which is formed in the part B that surrounds the head and trunk ofthe corpse, and \vhcl1"also surrounds the head and trunk of the corpse, extending down to or nearly to the bottom of said part. Between the ice-chamber D and the outer` walls of the preserver are formed air-chambersE, extending from the top to the bottom of said preserver. The air-chambers E are connected at their Vbot-torn with the air-chamber a in the bottom board A, by holes passing from the one chamber to the other, as before described. The airchambers E are connected with the ice-chauiber D by holes or openings through the upper part of the inner side walls of said air-chambers, as shown in figs. 1 and 3. The foot part C is without an ice-chamben'but it hasan air-chamber, F, passing around its sides, foot, and top, as shown in figs. 1 and 2: The air-chamber F is connected 'with the ice-chamber D by holes or openings through the contiguous end walls of the parts B and C, as shown in lig. 1. By this construction and arrangement of the ice-chamber D and the air-chambersla E F, the

'cold air from the said ice-chamber circulates through all the parts of the preserver, and surrounds the corpse with a stratum of chilled or cold air, said cold air having no communication with the air'in the chamber Gainwhich.

the corpse is placed, nor with the outer air, so that thc ice will waste or melt less rapidly, and no gas or odor can escape from the corpse into the room. H is a discharge pipe connected with the ice-chamberD, at the head, or some other convenient part of the preserver, through which the water from the melted ice may be drawn olf when desired. The pipe Ilshould be provided with a stop-cock in the ordinary manner. Directly over the part where the face of the corpse will be, the chamber G assumes a tubular form, and extends up to the to'p of the preserver, where its upper end is closed with a glass plate, I, so that the face of the corpse may be seen at any time by loolring through the said glass plate. 'lhe glass plate I is covered and protected by a lid or cover, J,

hinged at one edge to the outer case oi the preserver, as shown in tig. 1. K is a head-rest,`\vhich may be placed' beneath the head ofthe corpse, =to support thc head in a proper position. The ico is put into the ice-chamber D through an opening in the top of the preserver, which said opening is tightly closed with a' cover, L, as shown in iig. 1. The scams between the several parts of the preserver are all packedwith felt, or other equivalent packing, so that the said scams, when the said parts are attached to cach other7 mayv all be entirelyclose. The end walls, between the parts D and C, are made inclined or wedgev shaped, so that the said parts may press more closely upon each other, making the seam more tight. The parts A, B, and C are secured to each other by screws passing through flanges formed upon the lower edges of the parts B and C, and screwing into nuts, let into and secured tothe bottom board A.

i Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Forming the bottom or cooling-boardAin two parts, hinged to each other, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose set forth'.

2. Forming an air-chamber or chambers a in the bottom or cooling-board A, substantially as herein shown and described and for thc purpose lset forth.

' 3. The ice-chamber D, extending down upon the sides of the trunk to, or nearly to, Vthe bottom board A,v

and extending around the head of the corpse, ubstantin-ily as herein shown and described :md for the purpose set forth.

4. Forming the corpsepreserver in three parts,A B C, substantially as herein shown and described and for i the purpose set forth.

5. Forming the adjacent ends of the partsB and C inclined or wedge shaped, substantially :Ls herein shown and described and for the purpose sei'I forth.

C. The combination and arrangement of the body-chamber G, ice-chmber D, and nir-chambers a', E, and

VF, substantially :Ls herein shown and described and for the purpose set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this tenth day of August, 1857.

CEAS. W. COMPTON. Witnesses:

J. ALIsoN FRASER, JAMES T. GRAHAM. 

